Cashmere
Cashmere is the fine downy undercoat of the cashmere goat, combed or shorn each spring as the animal moults and then dehaired to separate the down from the coarse outer guard hair. The down is one of the finest animal fibres in commercial use, and its warmth for weight comes from the fineness and the scale structure rather than from bulk. It goes into knitwear, woven coating and suiting cloth, accessories and blends with merino, silk and camel hair. Yield after dehairing is low, and that ratio, more than any other single fact, is what sets the price of the raw material against the finished cloth.
Listed cashmere markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Cashmere is contracted on measured fibre diameter with its coefficient of variation, dehaired length, colour, guard hair and dehaired yield, supported by an independent test house certificate and by microscopy confirming that the fibre is cashmere and not wool or yak.
Fibre identity and species
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| SpeciesDeclared and verified | Capra hircus laniger down. Verified by scanning electron microscopy of the cuticle scale pattern under ISO 17751 and, where contracted, by protein or DNA testing. |
| Adulteration screenPercentage of non-cashmere fibre, maximum | Fine merino, yak down, stretched or descaled wool and dehaired camel are the recurring substitutions. The screen is contracted on every lot because the price gap makes the fraud worth attempting. |
| Harvest methodDeclared | Combed, which yields mostly down with little guard hair, or shorn, which takes the whole coat and needs heavier dehairing. It changes the yield and it changes the price. |
| Processing stateDeclared | Raw or greasy, scoured, dehaired, or dehaired and carded into sliver or top. Each state trades on its own basis. |
Fineness and dimensional measurement
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mean fibre diameterMicrons, with the tolerance | Measured by laser scan or airflow on a conditioned sample. The defining term of the contract. |
| Coefficient of variation of diameterPercentage | The evenness of the diameter distribution around the mean. |
| Mean fibre lengthMillimetres, with the range | Measured on the dehaired down. Length determines whether the lot spins to a fine worsted count or only to a woollen yarn. |
| Short fibre contentPercentage below a stated length | Broken and cut fibre, which is loss in combing and fault in the yarn. |
| Guard hair and coarse fibre contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Residual outer coat left after dehairing. It is the single most contested measurement in the trade and it is contracted with a hard ceiling. |
| Medullated fibre contentPercentage, maximum | Hollow cored fibres that will not dye level. |
| Dehaired yieldPercentage of the raw weight | Down recovered from raw combed or shorn fibre. It converts a raw price to a dehaired price and it is the number that settles the trade. |
| Fibre strengthNewtons per kilotex, minimum | Bundle tenacity on the dehaired down. |
| CurvatureDegrees per millimetre | Governs bulk and handle in the finished yarn. |
Colour and natural shade
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| WhiteColour class | Undyed white down, the premium shade because it accepts pale and bright dyeings. |
| Light greyColour class | Pale grey down. |
| GreyColour class | Mid grey down, restricted to medium and dark dyeings. |
| BrownColour class | Natural brown down, from pale camel through to dark brown. |
| BlackColour class | Natural black down, dyed only to black and the deepest shades. |
| Whiteness indexInstrumental value | Recorded on white lots where the buyer is dyeing to pastel shades. |
| Dark and pigmented fibre countCount per unit mass, maximum | Stray dark fibres in a white lot. A single visible dark fibre is a fault in a pale garment. |
| Colour consistency within the lotDeclared, against the reference sample | How closely the bales in one lot match. It governs shade banding in the finished cloth. |
Cleanliness, yield and contamination
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Vegetable matter contentPercentage by mass, maximum | Burr, seed, straw and pasture material, determined by chemical digestion or by carding trial. It is the cost the topmaker carries and it is deducted in the price. |
| YieldPercentage, on a stated basis | Clean fibre recovered from the greasy or raw weight, measured against a defined regain and grease basis. It converts a greasy price to a clean price and it is the number the trade actually settles on. |
| Grease and suint contentPercentage by mass | The natural wax and salt fraction removed in scouring. |
| Regain and moisturePercentage, at the standard atmosphere | Measured under ISO 139. Fibre is bought at a contractual regain, not at whatever it weighs on the day. |
| Dark and medullated fibreCount per unit mass, maximum | Pigmented or hollow fibres that will not take dye evenly. Contracted on any lot destined for pale shades. |
| ContaminationDeclared, zero tolerance where specified | Polypropylene twine, synthetic packaging and foreign fibre. It is the single most damaging defect in a bale and the contract treats it as such. |
| Vegetable matter after dehairingPercentage by mass, maximum | Burr and pasture material surviving the dehairing line, which is the hardest contamination to remove from a short fine down. |
Delivery, packing and certification
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Baling and packingDeclared, with the bale weight and the pack material | Pressed bales, hydraulic bales, hanks or bundles, with the wrapping named. Synthetic wrap is excluded where contamination is a contract term. |
| Marking and lot identityDeclared | Bale marks, lot number and the test certificate number, tied to the sample retained by both parties. |
| Test certificateCertificate, with the issuing house | An independent test house certificate is the contract document in this trade and the lot is settled against it. |
| Sampling methodDeclared | Core sampling, grab sampling or full lot testing, with the number of bales sampled written into the contract. |
| Fumigation and phytosanitary treatmentDeclared, with the certificate | Named where the destination requires it for a plant or animal origin fibre. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, Responsible Wool, Responsible Alpaca, Responsible Mohair, Fairtrade or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Clip or crop yearDeclared | The shearing season or the harvest year, recorded with the lot. |
| Combing seasonDeclared | The spring moult, recorded as the clip year with the lot. |
| Dehairing plantDeclared | Named on the contract, because dehairing yield and residual guard hair depend on the line and its settings. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| China | Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Ningxia and Liaoning | Origin and destination |
| Mongolia | Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Uvurkhangai, Umnugovi and Khovd | Origin and destination |
| Afghanistan | Herat, Balkh and the northern provinces | Origin and destination |
| Iran | Khorasan and Kerman | Origin and destination |
| Kyrgyzstan | Naryn and Issyk-Kul | Origin and destination |
| Kazakhstan | Almaty and Zhambyl | Origin and destination |
| India | Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh | Origin and destination |
| Pakistan | Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan | Origin and destination |
| Turkey | Central Anatolia | Origin and destination |
| Australia | New South Wales and Victoria | Origin and destination |
| New Zealand | Canterbury and Otago | Origin and destination |
| United States | Texas and the Mountain West | Origin and destination |
| Italy | Biella, Prato and the Veneto worsted cluster | Destination |
| United Kingdom | the Scottish Borders and Hawick | Destination |
| Japan | Osaka, Aichi and Gifu | Destination |
| South Korea | Gyeonggi and Daegu | Destination |
| Germany | Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria | Destination |
| France | Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Ile-de-France | Destination |
| Spain | Catalonia | Destination |
| Portugal | Porto and the Ave valley | Destination |
| Switzerland | Zurich and the luxury supply chain | Destination |
| Vietnam | Hung Yen and Ho Chi Minh City | Destination |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka and Chattogram knitwear | Destination |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Destination |
| Mauritius | Port Louis knitwear | Destination |
| Madagascar | Antananarivo knitwear | Destination |
| Hong Kong | Trading, finance and quality control for the regional knitwear base | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the fibre is shorn, cut or retted at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is classing, testing, baling and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mongolia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to May, arrival Jun to SepCombed during the spring moult from March to May, then scoured, dehaired and baled in Ulaanbaatar or shipped raw across the Chinese border for dehairing. | |||||
| China | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Mar to May, arrival May to AugCombed on the same spring moult, with dehairing concentrated in Inner Mongolia and Hebei and shipment following immediately. | ||||||
| Afghanistan | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Jun, arrival Jul to OctA later moult at altitude, with the fibre moving overland before it reaches a dehairing line. | |||||
| Iran | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to May, arrival Jul to SepSpring combing, with the lot consolidated and dehaired domestically before export. | |||||||
| India | Harvest | Harvest | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Jun, arrival Aug to OctThe Ladakh moult is the latest in the calendar because the high altitude spring arrives late, and the road out is open only part of the year. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for cashmere. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading5102.11 Fine animal hair of Kashmir (cashmere) goats, not carded or combed
- PackingCompressed bales. Jute and sisal at 180 kg to 250 kg, animal fibre at 100 kg to 300 kg pressed under hessian or polypropylene wrap, silk in cartons. Bale identification must carry the lot and the test certificate number.
- Container loading20ft: 10 t to 18 t depending on bale density. Wool, cashmere and other animal fibres are volume limited well before weight.
- Contract and arbitrationIWTO Blue Book terms with IWTO core test certificates and arbitration under IWTO rules for wool and fine animal hair. Plant fibres on the contract of the origin trade association or on CIF terms with arbitration at the named seat.
- Destination limitsPhytosanitary certification for plant fibres under Regulation 2016/2031 and veterinary health certification for animal fibre under Regulation 2016/429 and Regulation 142/2011. EU REACH restrictions on residual dyes, biocides and azo colourants. CITES prohibits trade in shahtoosh and controls vicuna.
Common questions
What grades of cashmere does SIP Global trade?
We quote 37 published grades of cashmere, including Species - Declared and verified, Adulteration screen - Percentage of non-cashmere fibre, maximum, Harvest method - Declared, Processing state - Declared, Mean fibre diameter - Microns, with the tolerance and Coefficient of variation of diameter - Percentage. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is cashmere graded?
Cashmere is contracted on measured fibre diameter with its coefficient of variation, dehaired length, colour, guard hair and dehaired yield, supported by an independent test house certificate and by microscopy confirming that the fibre is cashmere and not wool or yak. Grading runs on 5 systems: Fibre identity and species, Fineness and dimensional measurement, Colour and natural shade, Cleanliness, yield and contamination and Delivery, packing and certification.
Where does SIP Global trade cashmere?
We trade cashmere in China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, India and Pakistan and 19 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is cashmere harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Mongolia: harvest mar to may, arrival jun to sep; China: harvest mar to may, arrival may to aug; Afghanistan: harvest apr to jun, arrival jul to oct; Iran: harvest apr to may, arrival jul to sep; India: harvest may to jun, arrival aug to oct. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for cashmere?
Cashmere is normally classified under HS 5102.11 (fine animal hair of kashmir (cashmere) goats, not carded or combed). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for cashmere?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed cashmere market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
- ASTM InternationalMaterials and test method standards
- IWTOInternational Wool Textile Organisation test methods
- IPPCInternational Plant Protection Convention phytosanitary measures
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.